A Walk Down History

Well, that ride home was more than I expected, conversation wise.

You gotta love the spontaneity of life.

It isn't often my Dad shares with me his life, his thoughts and his philosophies.

We covered quite a bit of ground in 20 minutes.

The conversation began on health. Considering my recent accident, and his recent medical check up, one can understand why.

He mentioned his mother, (my grandmother, Mama) use to send my Dad boxes of instant noodles from Shanghai when he was on living on his own and studying in Sydney.

It reminded me of what my Dad did when I was living on my own in Hong Kong. He packed a whole suitcase of Tim Tams, John West tuna (I was obsessed with them at the time), and corn crackers. I remember being awe struck when I unpacked the suitcase in my apartment.

Since my Dad was sharing about the past and my grandmother, it quickly prompted reminders of my discoveries regarding my family history during my visit to Shanghai back in 2002. A Wild Swans story in itself.

I could tell my Dad was in reflective mode, and I was enjoying his thoughts as he shared them - recounting to me his days as a young adult in Australia, and his views of life in his youth.

He spoke about physical health and the importance of good health in experiencing a rich quality of life. He estimated a further 20 year life span under his belt, which he felt wasn't long relative to the last 40 years of his life in Sydney.

His thoughts served to expand my perspective of time. My time relative to his. If his thoughts were correct, that meant my children would have 20 years at most in which to know their grandparents, my parents.

Both my grandfathers passed away when I was young (under 10). I have little recollection of them, apart from their presence.

My Dad then subsequently shared with me his memories of how my grandfathers passed away. My Dad's father (YeYe) died of lung cancer on the 27th June 1988, and experienced a quick death in a matter of days. My Mum's father (GonGon) had a stroke 18 months before his death on the 13th March 1989. I do however have a recollection of the mood around those times.

This made me remember a time when I experienced the loss of my grandmothers. My Dad's mother (Mama) to cancer on the 18th of August 2001, and my Mum's mother (PorPor) to cancer on the 13th April 2002. My pup passed away during this time on the 31st March 2002. All of which are stories within themselves.